HUGE SEA WORM

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 August 1935, Page 10

HUGE SEA WORM

FISHERMEN’S lIALTL. OVER TEN FEET IN LENGTH. While the Tiivaru launch Quest was engaged in groper fishing off the coast recently and the crew Avas hauling in the set, a long piece of what looked I lo be seaweed was noticed attached to ' one of the hooks. However, when the J object Avas taken aboard it was found i to be a living creature and was brought back to port by the launch as an unusual specimen of marine life. It

(measured 10ft Gin in length and was, I when caught, about 2in round in its I thickest part (states the Timaru | “Post”). Along the sides of the creature were rows of tiriy spikes or spines which moved' with a circular motion ami with which it apparently repelled its enemies. The back of the creature was most beautifully marked with rainbow-like hues and brown spots, while the belly resembled that of a snake, being white and crinkly, with scales on it. The mouth was only very small and had a proboscis-like appendage above it, resembling the snout of a dog-fish, and it had hooked itself on to a largo eodhook. The specimen was forwarded to the Canterbury Museum for identification and the report of the turator, Professor R. Speight.

In the report, Avjhich he forwarded to Timaru. Professor Speight stated that he had had a special examination made of the creature Avhich Avas identified as one of the species of Nerieds or marine worms and is known as Eunice aphroditois. The worm had been reI ported before in New Zealand Avaters. He further stated that the species was found widely distributed in temperate and tropic seas, but the largest specimen recorded so far Avas only five feet long, so that the Timaru specimen furnished a record for size. Some members of the genus -were primarily bottom living and others Avere free swimming at the surface.